


We'll Figure It Out Together

by sarCATstic1



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Character Development, Child Abuse, Cuddles, DHS Worker!Suga, De-aged Kyoutani Kentarou, Established Iwaoi, Established Relationship, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Foster Care, Lawyer!Oikawa, Learning to trust, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Police Officer!Daichi, Trust Issues, anger issues, angry crying, mentioned drug use, police officer!iwaizumi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-07-08 20:25:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15937649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarCATstic1/pseuds/sarCATstic1
Summary: Iwaizumi was looking forward to the end of a late night shift at the precinct when a woman and her son are brought in. Iwaizumi couldn't care less about the woman, but her son is a different matter entirely. Despite his harsh exterior, Iwaizumi can see the boy is a good kid. The only problem is, how is Iwaizumi supposed to explain to his husband Oikawa why he brought the kid to their home? How can he get Oikawa to understand he just wants to give Kyoutani every chance to have a normal life? And will Kyoutani's past traumas let him move on and finally trust someone?





	1. The Tag Along

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bridge the Gap](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12127074) by [FindingSchmomo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FindingSchmomo/pseuds/FindingSchmomo). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi just wanted to finish his shift and go home, not connect with the kid who was brought in with his drug-addict mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! The first chapter in this story! I hope you guys like it! Thanks so much for reading!

     It all started during the last leg of a late shift for Iwaizumi. He was sitting at his desk just waiting for the last hour and a half to pass by with ease. Unfortunately, things in his life never went as planned.

 

     He was dozing at his desk when the front doors of the precinct burst open with a cacophony of shouts. He jumped in his seat, nearly falling out of the rolling chair, and watched as a woman in her mid to late twenties was brought in by two officers, Matsukawa and Kindaichi one on each arm. Her hands were cuffed behind her back, but that didn't seem to matter to her. She was kicking and screaming, spitting all kinds of insults at the two officers escorting her to the holding cell on the far side of the room. He could tell what she'd been brought in for just by looking at her: the stringy hair, the pasty skin and dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, and her yellowed and missing teeth. Drugs, and plenty of them. Iwaizumi shook his head with a long sigh.

 

     He exchanged a look with his partner, Sawamura Daichi, who was sitting across from him. They both shrugged and went about their business, finishing up paperwork and such. Iwaizumi leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head, groaning and fighting off a yawn. A sudden high, gruff scream made him jolt and nearly fall out of his chair, barely catching himself at the last second. He and Daichi both turned to look for the origin of the noise, waiting for the next strung out druggy to be dragged through their main lobby.

 

     Instead, a single officer, Asumane Asahi, looking incredibly distraught came in tugging a small boy after him. The boy had his heels dug into the tile under his feet, fighting against Asahi while he struggled to get his wrist out of the large man's grip.

 

     "No! Let me go!" The level of the boy's screams alone impressed Iwaizumi, let alone the fury that raged throughout the boy's little body. Asahi looked up at both he and Daichi and sent them a pleading look, obviously out of his comfort zone, as the boy kept screaming. "Get off! Where's my mom?"

 

     Iwaizumi glanced at the woman in the holding cell, pacing the length of the room's back wall, and back at the boy. They were obviously related. Despite the boy's badly bleached blonde hair and his mother's own dark hair, the resemblance was easily noticeable. Iwaizumi put two and two together and guessed the boy had been with her when she'd been caught either doing or selling drugs.

 

     Iwaizumi frowned as he watched the boy continue to fight against Asahi's grip. He knew the other officer well enough to know he wasn't hurting the boy. The man was so gentle and soft spoken Iwaizumi didn't know how he'd lasted as a police officer for so long. He'd rather hurt himself than anyone else. If anything, Iwaizumi was more concerned about the boy hurting Asahi.

 

     "Let go of me! I want my mom! Where's my mom?" Iwaizumi winced when the boy's voice cracked with the strain of his shouting. His throat had to be killing him by now if he'd been screaming and shouting like that the whole ride to the precinct.

 

     "Jesus Christ," a voice growled from the holding cell, the woman stepping forward until she was pressed against the cell bars. "Kentarou, shut the fuck up!"

 

     The boy immediately fell silent, his mouth snapping shut audibly, but he still fought against Asahi's hold, his face red with exertion. Iwaizumi decided to take pity on the kind-hearted officer and made his way over to them, ready to take over watching the boy. Asahi visibly relaxed when he saw him walking towards them, and the boy took that opportunity to yank his wrist out of Asahi's hand.

 

     He took off running, weaving through the desks and dodging the mad grab Daichi made for him. The kid was quick, Iwaizumi had to give him that, and he knew how to use his surroundings to his benefit. Iwaizumi jogged to the holding cell, guessing where the boy was already headed, and made it just a few seconds after the boy did.

 

     "Mom!" The boy stuck his arms through the cell bars, trying to reach some part of his mother. Iwaizumi's heart ached at the desperation in the boy's voice, watching him strain against the bars to try and get to his mother. Situations like these were always tough on everyone, the officers included. No one wanted to separate a family, but sometimes it was for the child's best interest that they were taken away. Iwaizumi took a deep breath, preparing for the fight that was about to happen when he tried to take the boy away.

 

     Only to see the woman reach out and shove the boy away from her. Hard. The boy grunted and tripped over his own feet, falling and landing hard on his back.

 

     "Fucking Hell, Kentarou. What have I told you about bothering me?" The woman spat, walking back to the bench bolted to the far wall of the holding cell. "And stop fucking shouting. You're giving me a headache."

 

     Iwaizumi rushed over and knelt down by the boy, moving to help him up. The boy slapped his hands away and sent a harsh glare up at him, but Iwaizumi saw tears in the corners of his eyes. "You okay?"

 

     "Fuck you." Iwaizumi blinked in surprise at the harsh curse being barked at him by such a small boy. He couldn't have been older than ten, but he threw the curse word at Iwaizumi like some thirty year-old biker. Now that he was close he could see how roughed up the boy was, scuffs on his knees and splotches of bruises spread over his body. He desperately needed a bath, a hair cut, and some new clothes and shoes. He was nothing but skin and bones, too. Iwaizumi could see that much even with the hoodie the boy was wearing which was at least three sizes too big.

 

     Iwaizumi glanced back at the woman in the holding cell. She was practically skeletal, her clothes hanging off her body, but the pock marks at the insides of her elbows were no more than a week old. She'd had enough money to pay for drugs but not to feed herself or her kid. Iwaizumi grit his teeth and fought the sudden strong urge to throttle her. Fuck it if she wanted to ruin her own body, but he couldn't understand how she could let her son suffer like that.

 

     He turned his attention back to the boy in front of him, pinching his cheeks between his thumb and fingers with just enough pressure to get his point across. He turned the boys head so he had to look at Iwaizumi. "Hey, that's not how you talk to someone who hasn't done anything to hurt you."

 

     The boy didn't say anything and jerked his face out of Iwaizumi's hand, but he did nod once as he looked down. It was so subtle Iwaizumi almost missed it. Iwaizumi stood and held a hand out to the boy. After a moment of hesitation, the boy took his hand and let Iwaizumi help him up, but he immediately pulled his hand away once he was standing.

 

     "Hey, you want to go to the break room and get something to drink?" They both jumped at the sound of Daichi's voice, and Iwaizumi relaxed when he saw his partner standing beside them. While Iwaizumi was good with kids, Daichi was amazing with them. It was like he radiated an aura that made kids adore him.

 

     But this kid must have been immune to Daichi's aura of love and affection, because he turned one of the harshest scowls Iwaizumi had ever seen on the other man and didn't say anything. Daichi shared a look with Iwaizumi that showed how surprised Daichi was at the kid's reaction, too.

 

     "Just leave him alone. He'll be fine." Iwaizumi turned to glare at the boy's mother, and she rolled her eyes at him with a malicious smirk. "You're wastin' your breath. That kid won't tell you shit."

 

     "Why don't you let him speak for himself?" Iwaizumi turned to the boy knelt again so he could be eye level to him. "Are you hungry?" The boy looked at Iwaizumi for a few minutes, his brow furrowed and his brown eyes guarded as he searched Iwaizumi's face. After a few seconds, the boy seemed to find what he was looking for, because his eyes softened just a bit and he nodded. "Alright, then. Come on. We have donuts in the break room."

 

     The boy nodded again, so Iwaizumi stood and started walking to the break room, assuming the boy would follow after him. After a few steps, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the boy trotting after him, his hands fisted in the bottom of his too-big hoodie as he stared at his feet. Iwaizumi looked up at Daichi and when their eyes met he glanced over at Matsukawa meaningfully. Daichi nodded in understanding and moved to go talk to the other officer while Iwaizumi took the kid to get something to eat so he could talk to him alone.

 

     The kid still didn't say anything when Iwaizumi got him settled in a seat at the one table in the break room; he only pointed to the donut he wanted and waited patiently for Iwaizumi to take it out of the box with a napkin before giving it to him. Even though he wasn't hungry, Iwaizumi grabbed his own donut so he had something in his hands and sat down across from the boy, watching the kid devour his day-old donut like it was an expensive steak. If Iwaizumi's assumption was correct, then it was probably the only thing the kid had eaten all day.

 

     Iwaizumi cleared his throat, not wanting to scare the kid by suddenly talking, and mentally cursed when the boy still froze at the sound. Still, he pressed on. "You thirsty?" The boy nodded once, still shoving more of the donut into his mouth like he was afraid someone would take it away from him. "Milk okay?" Iwaizumi received another nod, so he stood and moved to the fridge they kept in the break room. "What's your name?" He asked as he poured some milk in a plastic cup.

 

     He glanced at the boy when he didn't answer him, raising an eyebrow in question. The boy scowled down at his now-empty napkin as the silence stretched between them, and Iwaizumi reached over and plucked another donut out of the open box next to him, placing it on the boy's napkin. The kid's storm cloud expression cleared a bit after that, and he looked almost not-pissed when Iwaizumi set the milk down in front of him. Iwaizumi sat across from him again and watched him expectantly, waiting patiently for an answer to his question.

 

     Eventually, the kid came up for air from his donut and fixed Iwaizumi in his searching stare again. He chewed slowly and swallowed before he finally spoke. "Kyoutani Kentarou," he said, his voice hoarse from all his earlier yelling.

 

     Iwaizumi nodded and held his right hand out, waiting for Kentarou to put his own right hand in his before shaking it. "It's nice to meet you, Kyoutani." The little boy blinked a few times before he nodded and went back to his donut, pausing his eating only to take a few gulps of milk. "How old are you?"

 

     Kyoutani scrubbed the back of his hand messily over his mouth, managing to smear icing all over his mouth rather than wipe any of it away. "Eight," he muttered, voice muffled by his mouthful of food. "My birthday was two days ago." Iwaizumi's heart dropped into his stomach at the boy's words. He was so young. Too young to have to go through something like this.

 

     "Oh?" He grabbed an extra napkin and set it in front of Kyoutani, in case he wanted to use it. "What did you get?" Kyoutani took the extra napkin and wiped it over his mouth, doing much better at cleaning his mouth off, and took another drink of milk.

 

     "Mom got me some new shoes." Kyoutani's face scrunched up in thought for a moment before he shrugged. "Well, they're new to me. And the man that came over that day gave me a sucker when he found out."

 

     Iwaizumi nodded along, resting his arms on the table. "Do a lot of men come over to your house?" He feinted an innocent interest in the topic, but in reality he was trying to get more information. If the boy's mother was a hooker and brought men to her home where Kyoutani was, there was a possibility one or more of them may had tried to hurt the boy. Kyoutani shrugged as an answer, but Iwaizumi noticed the way his posture tensed, his fingers now picking at the last little bit of his donut. It was obvious he had lost his appetite. "Did any of them hurt you?"

 

     Kyoutani's eyes widened and flashed fearfully, but he shook his head quickly. Iwaizumi frowned at his reaction. Someone had obviously hurt him. The only problem was Iwaizumi didn't know who. His mother clearly wasn't against at least shoving him; it was probably pretty safe to say she'd hit him before, too. Iwaizumi doubted he would get that kind of information out of the kid now, though. Not when he was this tight lipped about the strange men that came to his house. So, Iwaizumi allowed the subject to pass, hoping Kyoutani would relax with a change of topic.

 

     "You know, I think my partner has a basket of candy at his desk. You wanna go check it out when you're finished?" He asked with a grin, knowing full well that Daichi kept a well-stocked candy dish at his desk. Kyoutani frowned down at the table for a moment before he shrugged. There was another moment of tense silence before Kyoutani spoke again.

 

     "You're putting my mom in jail, aren't you?" Iwaizumi took a deep breath before he answered, contemplating how he should answer. He could lie and say no, but that wasn't fair. And he had a feeling Kyoutani would know he was lying and wouldn't appreciate it. So, he decided to tell the kid the truth.

 

     "Yeah." Kyoutani nodded like he understood, and Iwaizumi was pretty sure he did. The boy pulled his hands off the table and put them in his lap, fidgeting with his hoodie nervously.

 

     "Am I gonna be put in foster care?" Iwaizumi frowned at the question.

 

     "Why do you ask that?"

 

     Kyoutani took a shaky breath and looked around the room; at the table, at the fridge, anywhere but at Iwaizumi. "Last time my mom got put in jail, I was put in foster care until she got out. I didn't like it. They were mean." Iwaizumi nodded encouragingly, hoping to get more out of him. "The man there always yelled at me. And the lady tried to make me call her Mom, and she used to get really mad because I wouldn't, and she used to lock me in the closet and wouldn't let me out for a really long time." Kyoutani stopped himself before he could say anything else, his mouth trembling and his eyes a little too wet, but Iwaizumi didn't need to hear anymore.

 

     "Kyoutani, I promise you will never be with people like that again." The little boy looked up at Iwaizumi with eyes full of doubt, and Iwaizumi guessed that he was probably more than used to being lied to by adults. "I swear I won't let it happen." He hoped Kyoutani would at least believe he wanted to help him, but actions were probably going to be needed with him. Not words.

 

     "Hey," Iwaizumi turned at the sound of Daichi's voice, finding his partner standing in the doorway behind him. Daichi waved him over, motioning for Iwaizumi to come talk to him. Iwaizumi turned back to Kyoutani, watching him for a few seconds before he set his donut down in front of the boy with a nod.

 

     "Finish that for me, would you? I'll be right back," Iwaizumi said as he stood and pushed his chair in. Kyoutani nodded but didn't touch the donut, instead he grabbed his plastic cup of milk and held it in his lap. Iwaizumi sighed quietly before he turned and let Daichi lead him a few steps away from the break room so they could talk and not be overheard.

 

     "Okay, what the hell is going on?" Iwaizumi asked, glancing around the edge of break room door frame to check and make sure Kyoutani hadn't moved from his chair. When he saw the boy was where he left him, he turned his attention to Daichi.

 

     "Alright. I talked to Matsukawa. Story is that the woman was staying in a motel in town. The motel owner called the police when she didn't pay after a few days. He tried to kick her out, but she barricaded herself and her son inside. Matsukawa and Kindaichi showed up and managed to get things under control, but they found drugs in the motel room. Meth and some prescription drugs, not her own, obviously," Daichi murmured softly, his voice low enough that only Iwaizumi could hear. "She wasn't high when they picked her up, but you probably noticed, like I did, the track marks on her arm. She's been using, and recently, too."

 

     Iwaizumi nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "What about the boy? Do we know anything about him yet? Any other guardian? Parent? Where's his father?" Daichi shook his head with a sigh.

 

     "I called Koushi once Matsukawa and I finished talking. She's his only legal guardian. He's been in the system before when she went to jail a year ago. She got him back when she got out. Don't ask me how." Iwaizumi nodded and ran a hand through his hair.

 

     "Yeah, that's what Kyoutani told me." Iwaizumi closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't let him go to a foster home, Daichi. He was abused in the last one, badly. The kid's only eight and he's probably been hit more times than you and me combined."

 

     Daichi held his hands up helplessly. "I don't know what to tell you, Iwaizumi," he said. "We can't just let him go. He's a minor. And he has no other guardians. There isn't really anything else we  _can_ do."

 

     Iwaizumi sighed and shook his head. There had to be something else he could do. He knew kids like Kyoutani. Hell, he had  _been_ Kyoutani when he was his age. He needed an authority figure who took care of him; one who showed him there were people who cared about him.

 

      _Why don't you do it?_ Iwaizumi blinked at the sudden thought before shaking his head. No, he couldn't foster the kid. He wasn't ready to take care of a child. Not to mention, Oikawa would kill him.  _But_ _..._

 

     He glanced around the doorway again, taking Kyoutani where he still sat at the break room table. The boy had finished his milk, set his empty cup down on the table, and had pulled his legs onto the chair so he could wrap his arms around his knees. He had a milk mustache on his upper lip where he hadn't wiped his scowling mouth. Iwaizumi smiled before he could stop himself.

 

     "Uh oh," Daichi murmured, breaking Iwaizumi from his trance. He glanced over at his partner and saw him giving him a look.

 

     "What?" He asked, furrowing his brow.

 

     "I know that look." Iwaizumi frowned harder.

 

     "What look?"

 

     Daichi rolled his eyes and pointed a finger at Iwaizumi, nearly poking him in the forehead. "That look. The look you get right before you pull some of your trademark parenting."

 

     Iwaizumi snorted and shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about." He purposefully ignored the look Daichi gave him at that. "And, even if I did, I couldn't. Oikawa would kill me."

 

     Daichi shrugged. "I thought Oikawa liked kids?"

 

     "Oikawa likes his nephew, and even then it's iffy." He sighed and glanced back at the little boy at the table again. "Besides, Kyoutani isn't exactly a normal kid. He has issues, and he has every right to have them. But they're going to make his life harder than it already is." Daichi nodded and folded his arms over his chest, mirroring Iwaizumi.

 

     "Which is why he needs someone like you to help him." Iwaizumi sent him a look that made Daichi take a step back and raise his hands in front of himself placatingly. "Alright, alright. Fine. Just take him for the night. Your shift's almost over, and he can't stay here all night. Suga won't be in town until tomorrow anyway. Take him to your place, give him a bath and let him sleep in an actual bed, and bring him back in the morning. We'll figure out what to do with him then, okay?"

 

     Iwaizumi ran a hand over his face with a sigh before he looked back at Kyoutani. The boy caught Iwaizumi looking at him and quickly looked away, his shoulders jerking up to his ears like he was afraid he'd get in trouble. Iwaizumi groaned and scrubbed at his hair for a moment before he sighed again and turned to Daichi.

 

     "Fine," he muttered, ignoring the smirk that was growing on Daichi's lips. "I'll take him for tonight. But I'm bringing him back in the morning, and we're figuring out something for him with Suga."

 

     Daichi nodded and happily slapped a hand against Iwaizumi's back. "Okay! You go tell the kid. I'll let Chief Ukai know what's going on." Iwaizumi watched his partner head off toward the Chief's office, taking a few moments to try and think of what he was going to say to Kyoutani. He couldn't wait forever though. His shift was over in ten minutes, and both he and the kid needed some sleep. The sooner they got home, the sooner that could happen.

 

     "Alright, Hajime," he muttered to himself under his breath, "you can do this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love me some fatherly Iwa! I was kinda inspired by FindingSchmomo's Papa!Iwa, but I've also been wanting to write a fic like this for a while. The idea kinda hits a little close to home for me.
> 
> Anyway, thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked it. If you did, I would really appreciate a kudos and/or comment. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Stay tuned for more!


	2. We're In The Dog House Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi brings Kentarou to his and Oikawa's house, and that goes about as well as you all think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's chapter two! I hope you all like it. So far, I think the story's coming along well. I have some ideas left in my story box, so hopefully thing will keep chuggin' along.
> 
> I'm pretty pleased with how well I'm pumpin' out these chapters. I haven't hit my wall yet, so I'll keep trying to get relatively regular updates out. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

     Kentarou glared at the table as he watched the policeman who had been talking to him walk back into the room he'd left him in. Officer Iwaizumi, he'd heard one of the officers call the man. He liked the man. He was nice and didn't push him to talk if he didn't want to. Plus, he gave him those donuts. It'd been a long time since Kentarou had eaten so much, and they'd been amazing. Even if they did taste old.

 

     Officer Iwaizumi sat in the chair across from him again with a sigh. "That was my partner," he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder in the direction the other policeman went. "The one with the candy I told you about. His name is Officer Daichi. He's really nice."

 

     Kentarou frown at that. That man had tried to grab him when he'd ran to Mom. He paused for a moment to think. Then again, grown ups didn't like it when you ran around inside. Mom definitely didn't like it when he did. Especially not in their house. Plus, if he had candy he probably shared it with people, and people who shared things, especially candy, couldn't be all bad. Maybe Kentarou had misjudged the man. He made a mental note to check the policeman out again.

 

     Officer Iwaizumi sighed again, leaning forward so he could rest his arms on the table. Kentarou tensed. He didn't like it when grown ups sighed a lot. It usually meant bad things for him. "Kyoutani-"

 

     "You can call me Kentarou, Mister Officer Iwaizumi," Kentarou said, not meaning to interrupt the policeman, but he wasn't used to people calling him Kyoutani.

 

     Instead of getting angry, like Kentarou thought he would, Officer Iwaizumi smiled and nodded. "Okay, but you can call me Iwaizumi, then. Just Iwaizumi, okay?" Kentarou continued to glare at the table, but he nodded so Officer Iwaizumi, er  _just_ Iwaizumi, would know he'd heard him. "Great. Well, Kentarou, how would you like to come spend the night at my house tonight?"

 

     Kenatrou couldn't help himself; his head snapped up at the question, sending a questioning and wary look at the policeman. Why on Earth would the man want him to stay the night at his house?

 

     Iwaizumi seemed to notice his wariness and explained further. "It's getting pretty late, and there isn't really any place for you to stay here. This way, if you come to my house, you can take a bath and sleep in a bed, rather than on the floor somewhere."

 

     "Oh," Kentarou said. That made sense. He was still a little unsure about the policeman, but he'd been nothing but nice to Kentarou. Even when he'd said that bad word to him. "Okay."

 

     Iwaizumi's shoulders relaxed and his smile grew a little. "Really? You sure?" Kentarou nodded again. "And you're comfortable with it? If you don't want to, you don't have to."

 

     Kentarou shrugged and glanced around the break room. "It's better than staying here." He didn't mention how much he wanted an actual bath. Mom had just been wiping him down with wet paper towels for the past few days. And that had been only when she'd felt like it.

 

     Eventually, Iwaizumi nodded and stood. Kentarou stood with him but kept his head down, so he could watch Iwaizumi's feet and follow him without having to try and understand the expressions on the grown up's face. "Alright. My shift is pretty much over, so let me get my stuff together and we can go, okay?" Kentarou nodded and curled his fists into the too-long sleeves of his hoodie. Iwaizumi led him out of the break room, making his way to where Kentarou assumed his desk was.

 

     But he stopped and stood in front of the sea of desks, fidgeting with the bottom of his hoodie. Iwaizumi noticed his pause and turned back to him. "Everything okay?" Kentarou glanced over at the cell Mom was sitting in and quickly looked away. Iwaizumi knelt in front of him so Kentarou could see his face without having to crane his neck back to look at him. "Did you want to go see your mom?"

 

     Kentarou shrugged. "I don't know if Mom wants to see me," he mumbled, folding his arms over his chest so he could tuck his hands under his arms. When he didn't know what to do with himself he liked to feel something around him, like a blanket. They'd had a thick quilt once for a few months that Kentarou had staked a claim on, until one of the men Mom brought home took it home with him accidentally. Kentarou had asked Mom, begged her, to get it back, but she's told him no, and that had been the end of it.

 

     Kentarou squeezed his arms around himself tighter when Iwaizumi frowned. He didn't like it when grown ups got mad. It usually meant bad things for him. Iwaizumi didn't hit him, or do anything else that was bad to him, though. He just looked at Mom and sighed.

 

     "Well, if you want to go say bye to her, you can. I'll go with you, if you want," he said eventually. Kentarou thought that over. Mom didn't like policemen, said they were mean and 'mouthy pieces of shit'. Iwaizumi wasn't like that, though. He was nice and hadn't done anything to hurt him since they'd been together. He was even taking him to his house so he could take a bath and sleep.

 

     Kentarou shrugged again and started walking to where Mom was, wanting to at least talk to her again. He didn't know how long it would be before he saw her again. Maybe it would be like last time and it would few months. That had felt like a hundred years. That could have been because of where he'd been forced to stay, though.

 

     He stopped a few steps away from from the bars of the cell, the memory of what had happened the last time he'd gotten too close still fresh in his mind. Mom didn't look up at him. Instead, she just kept picking at the polish on her nails. Kentarou wished she'd stop. He liked the color she'd painted them this time.

 

     "Excuse me, ma'am?" Iwaizumi called. "Your son would like to talk to you." She didn't acknowledge him.

 

     "Mom?" She heaved a big sigh at Kentarou's voice and finally looked at him, her mouth twisted into a scowl.

 

     "What do you want, brat?" She snapped, scratching at her hair. The action made Kentarou realize how itchy his hair too, but he didn't scratch at it.

 

     "Be careful in jail, Mom," he muttered, clenching his hands into fists under his arms. "I'll see you when you get out."

 

     Mom snorted. "I ain't comin' to get you."

 

     Kentarou froze. It felt like someone had poured ice water down his back. He hugged himself tighter, trying to keep his racing heart from beating right out of his chest. "What?" he croaked.

 

     "You heard me. You ain't worth it. All you do is complain." Mom shook her head and spat on the floor of the cell. "They can have you. Be doin' me a favor."

 

     "But..." He felt like like the floor had just fallen out from under him. Or worse, like when magicians did the trick where there was a table covered in a table cloth, and there were a ton of things on top of the table cloth, and the magicians whipped the table cloth right out from under the stuff on top of it, but if they didn't do it just right everything would fall with the table cloth and spill on the floor. Kentarou was one of the plates that fell to the floor and shattered.

 

 ~*~

 

    Iwaizumi thought he'd misheard the woman at first. Surely, she wouldn't say that to her own son, no matter how shitty of a mother she was. But when he heard Kentarou's choked out protest, he knew he'd heard correctly. Iwaizumi wanted to yell at her; he wanted to open the holding cell and wring her neck. He'd never raise his hand against a woman, but that didn't mean he couldn't want to. He might have said something to her, reprimanded her for saying such awful things to her son, but when he looked at Kentarou to check on him, he saw how shaken the boy was, his already huge eyes opened even wider and his arms clenched tight against his body.

 

     He glanced around and saw Kindaichi standing not far away. "Hey, make sure I know if anything changes with these two," he told the rookie. Kindaichi nodded furiously, standing at attention with his hands held behind his back. Iwaizumi gave him a handful of months before he stopped with the uptight manners; no one kept them for long after they got out of the academy.

 

     "You better watch yourself with that one." Iwaizumi glanced back at Kentarou's mother. "He'll steal anything you have that ain't too heavy for him to carry," she spat, mouth twisted into a disgusted sneer. It took every ounce of Iwaizumi's will power to not go wipe the offending look off her face.

 

     Instead, he turned his attention back to Kentarou, kneeling down next to him because it seemed to help calm the small boy down not having everyone tower over him. "Kentarou? Hey, you okay?"

 

     After a few seconds, Kentarou blinked and pulled his gaze away from his mother to look at Iwaizumi, his eyes and face set with a purposeful lack of emotion. "'m fine," he muttered but didn't stop hugging himself. Iwaizumi had half a mind to push the subject, clearly the boy  _wasn't_ fine, but thought better of it. Kentarou would need to talk about this, eventually. But not now. Right now he needed a warm bath and some good rest.

 

     Iwaizumi nodded and stood, motioning for Kentarou to walk in front of him. "Let's get my stuff and we can get out of here." Kentarou didn't reply, but he did move forward, moving in the direction of the desk Iwaizumi pointed out. When they made it to Iwaizumi's desk, he quickly gathered the few things he needed to take home, keys, uniform jacket, and backpack, and ushered the boy toward the front doors. As they walked to the exit, they passed by Asahi, the other officer looking like he wanted to say something to the boy. Iwaizumi caught his gaze and shook his head, trying to save them all a possible outburst. Kentarou was definitely not in the mood to be profusely apologized to. Asahi sighed but nodded, relenting to Iwaizumi's request, and Iwaizumi wanted to thank him for being so understanding.

 

     Kentarou was hesitant to stray very far Iwaizumi when they got outside, glancing warily out into the darkness around them. Iwaizumi didn't blame him; he'd been scared of the dark at Kentarou's age, too. And at eleven o'clock at night it was plenty dark out. Plus, Iwaizumi was fairly certain Kentarou knew some of the real dangers that lurked in the night.

 

     He didn't mention the closeness though, knowing it would only make Kentarou even more self conscious of his actions around Iwaizumi. The police officer wanted him comfortable around him. He knew how much it helped to know someone, just one person, cared about you.

 

     Iwaizumi led them to his police cruiser, quickly unlocking it so they could climb in. Kentarou settled himself into the passenger seat while Iwaizumi threw his bag into the back seat. He waited until the boy had put on his seatbelt before he started up the car and pulled out of the police department parking lot. They drove in silence for a while before Kentarou spoke up.

 

     "I don't steal things," he whispered, so softly Iwaizumi almost didn't catch it.

 

     Iwaizumi nodded but didn't take his eyes off the road. "I believe you." Kentarou fidgeted with his sleeves for a few seconds, and Iwaizumi didn't push him, letting him work out what he was going to say next.

 

     "I just...I.." His mouth twisted miserably as he fought to get the words out. "Sometimes things show up at the house and I like them cuz they're cool, so I take them and hide them. Cuz I know if I don't she'll take them away, and I'll never see them again."

 

     Iwaizumi nodded again, clutching tightly at the steering wheel in his hands. No kid should feel like they have to hide things in their own house. "I believe you," he repeated.

 

     They drove in silence after that. Iwaizumi wished he had the gift of gab that Oikawa did, but Kentarou didn't seem to mind the quiet. Iwaizumi had a feeling he preferred it. Plus, it gave Iwaizumi some time to think about how he was going to break this to Oikawa. What he'd told Daichi hadn't been a lie. Oikawa wasn't exactly fond of kids. Iwaizumi had a bad feeling about how Oikawa was going to react to Kentarou.

 

     The way he saw it, there were three possible reactions Oikawa could have. One, he could yell. He could scream and shout and get so red in the face Iwaizumi would worry his head might explode. Two, he could plaster on his fake smile and be civil to Kentarou, but when he got Iwaizumi alone he'd tear him a new one. Or three, he could completely ignore the both of them. Honestly? Iwaizumi wasn't sure which would be worse. It didn't really matter though, because they were pulling into his and Oikawa's driveway.

 

     "I should tell you," Iwaizumi started, glancing over at the boy in the seat next to him. "There's another man living with me. He's a good guy, but he doesn't really like kids." Kentarou shrugged as he took off his seat-belt.

 

     "I don't like 'em either." Iwaizumi couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, throwing his head back and slapping the steering wheel. When he'd calmed down he wiped at his eyes and glanced over at Kentarou. The boy had pressed himself against the door behind him and was staring at Iwaizumi with wide, confused look. Iwaizumi waved a hand at him, chuckling and taking his own seat-belt off.

 

     "Sorry, sorry," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That was funny." Iwaizumi rubbed a hand over his face and cleared his throat. "Alright, you guys might actually get along if you give each other a chance." Kentarou grunted and opened his door so he could hop out. Iwaizumi followed his lead and got out of his cruiser, stopping to grab his bag from the back seat before he led them to the front door.

 

     The minute he pulled out his keys and started unlocking the door, a cacophony of barking erupted from the other within the house. Iwaizumi held the door closed and quickly glanced at Kentarou, looking sheepishly at the boy.

 

     "Sorry. I forgot to mention I have a dog. Is that okay? Are you afraid of..." Iwaizumi didn't even have to finish his question to get his answer. At the mention of a dog, Kentarou's eyes lit up, and the first smile Iwaizumi had seen on the boy stretched his lips wide.

 

     "Can I play with him?" He asked excitedly, practically jumping up and down. Iwaizumi smiled and nodded.

 

     "She's a girl. Her name is Ripley." Kentarou nodded, not even questioning the odd name. Which saved Iwaizumi the embarrassing story Iwaizumi usually had to tell to explain the origin of the name. Oikawa had been adamant about either Ripley or Uhura. He'd let Iwaizumi pick between the two, and he'd chosen the slightly less cringe worthy one.

 

     Without further ado, Iwaizumi unlocked the front door and opened it wide, letting the hulking German Shepherd out of the house. The dog immediately launched herself a his chest, nearly tackling him to the ground as she barked and whined happily at him. He chuckled and ruffled her fur.

 

     "Hey, Ripley. Yes, I know. I missed you, too." He settled her back down on all fours and grabbed ahold of her collar so she couldn't tackle Kentarou like she had himself. "Ripley, this is Kentarou. Kentarou, Ripley."

 

     Kentarou looked giddy with excitement, grinning from ear to ear. Iwaizumi expected him to rush over and try to pet the dog, but instead he held out his hand palm up and let her sniff him. Iwaizumi blinked, surprised at the action.

 

     "Do you have any dogs, Kentarou?" If the boy did, that would explain how he knew how to handle himself around dogs.

 

     Kentarou shook his head, his smile deflating slightly. "No. Mom wouldn't let me get one. But I love dogs. And cats. I really like animals." He babbled on for a bit about how much he liked animals and his reasonings for liking each one. Iwaizumi made a mental note to talk to him about it more; it was the most he'd ever heard the boy say. He let him let the dog, Ripley preening under all the attention and licking anywhere she could reach on Kentarou. The little boy giggled every time she licked his face, shying away from the ticklish feeling only to push back in to receive another lapping.

 

     After a few minutes, Iwaizumi stood and motioned Kentarou inside, locking the door behind them. He wanted to get inside quickly, incase Oikawa got worried and came check see what was holding Iwaizumi up. He definitely wanted their meeting to happen indoors, away from prying eyes. They barely made it three steps in before Oikawa called to him from the kitchen.

 

     "Iwa-chan? That you?" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. Who else was it supposed to be?

 

     "No, it's a burglar. I've come to steal all your valuables and your dog," he called back, throwing at wink down at Kentarou. "You guys stay here. I'll be right back," he whispered, pointing toward the couch in the living room.

 

     "You can have her. All she does is eat and whine when her other dad isn't home." Iwaizumi grinned and made his way into the kitchen.

 

     "Sounds like someone else I know," he snorted, laughing at the gasp that brought out of the other man.

 

     "Excuse you! I'll have you know, I don't whine! I lament." Iwaizumi could already picture Oikawa leaning back against the fridge, a hand pressed to his forehead in anguish.

 

     "Alright, alright," he relented, peeking his head into the kitchen. Oikawa was standing with his back to him, stirring a pot of something that smelled too good to have been actually made by the brunette. "Hey, I have to tell you something."

 

     Oikawa looked at him over his shoulder, his eyebrows drawn down a bit in a concerned expression. "Okay. What's up?"

 

     "It's nothing bad," Iwaizumi said quickly as he made his way further into the kitchen, not wanting to upset his boyfriend anymore than he was already about to. "And it's only temporary, but it is something you need to know about."

 

     Oikawa nodded and turned the stove top off, putting the spoon he'd been stirring with down and turning so he could face Iwaizumi. He crossed his arms casually over his chest and leaned back against the counter behind him. "Okay. What is it?"

 

     "I brought a kid home with me from the station -"

 

     "What?!" Iwaizumi barely got those few words out before Oikawa interrupted him with his screech.

 

     "Shh!" Iwaizumi hissed, trying to pacify the fuming man in front of him. "He's just a kid, Tooru! He's only eight, and he needed a place to stay for the night."

 

     Oikawa rolled his eyes and threw his hand up, and Iwaizumi was suddenly glad he'd put his spoon down. "So, you just brought him to our house? You didn't even think to call me and ask me what I thought about this? What if he steals something, Hajime? What if he kills us in our sleep?"

 

     "Tooru, he's eight!" Iwaizumi growled, forcing himself to stay quiet. "And he's not a murderer, he's a little kid who's mom was arrested for drug use. He needed a place to stay, so I offered our place because we had room. Besides, he's so underfed I doubt he'd even be able to attempt to hurt anything, let alone kill someone." Iwaizumi ran a hand through his hair and sighed, exasperated. "Look, it's just for tonight. He'll take a bath, sleep in the guest room, and I'll take him back to the station in the morning. That's it, okay?"

 

     Oikawa glared at him for a few seconds before he sighed too. "Fine." He turned back to what he was cooking, stirring the liquid as it cooled. "Is he hungry?"

 

     "I don't know. I haven't asked him yet. I wanted to talk to you first."

 

     Oikawa snorted. "Oh, how nice of you to think of me." Sarcasm dripped from his words like poison.

 

     "Tooru, you can be mad at me, but don't take this out on the kid. He's been through enough," Iwaizumi warned. Oikawa glared at him over his shoulder.

 

     "Despite what you may think, Hajime, I'm not  _that_ much of an asshole," he sneered, quickly turning back to what he was doing. "Go see if he's hungry. And make up the couch. You'll want to be warm tonight when you sleep on it."

 

     Iwaizumi sighed again, resigned to stay in the doghouse for at least a few months for this. It wasn't worth the fight to argue his case any further when Oikawa got like this. He started back towards the living room, and the sound of Kentarou talking quietly to Ripley drifted to his ears.

 

     "I think he's mad," the little boy murmured. "Maybe I should leave." Iwaizumi grit his teeth at Kentarou's words.

 

     He'd get Oikawa to like this kid. Even if it killed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! Now, I know, I know. I made Oikawa seem like a huge duck when he's actually just a regular/smallish dick, but give me a bit. He has to get attached to Kentarou still and such. I promise things will get better.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked it. Leave a comment or kudos if you feel like it. They give me life (and warm fuzzies). Stay tuned for the next chapter! Bye!


	3. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kentarou meets Oikawa, and Iwaizumi makes a painful discovery.

     Iwaizumi walked into the living room to see Kentarou and Ripley both sitting on the floor in front of the couch. The little boy was sitting cross-legged so close to the dog (who was bigger than Kentarou was) that he could thread his fingers through her thick fur. He had his face pressed into her chest, and Iwaizumi was hesitant to interrupt the quiet moment. But he knew Kentarou must be getting tired, so the sooner he was fed and washed the sooner he could go to sleep.

 

     "Hey, Kentarou?" Iwaizumi asked softly, not wanting to surprise the boy. When Kentarou pulled his face out of Ripely's fur to look at Iwaizumi, he continued. "Are you hungry? Want something to eat before you take a bath and go to bed?"

 

     Kentarou frowned and clenched his hands in Ripley's fur, fidgeting nervously. "Are you in trouble because you brought me to your house?"

 

     "What?" Iwaizumi asked, blinking in surprise. "No, no. Of course not." Kentarou scowled furiously and turned to glare at the floor.

 

     "I heard yelling. Mom usually yells when I'm in trouble," he said, obviously not believing him. Iwaizumi winced, caught in his lie, and sighed.

 

     "Well, I'm not exactly in trouble," he explained, sitting down beside Kentarou and crossing his legs. He reached out to pet Ripley, too. "Oikawa just doesn't like it when I do things that involve him too without making sure it's okay with him first."

 

     Kentarou glanced up at him, his expression having cleared a bit with Iwaizumi's explanation. "I can leave, if that'll help."

 

     Iwaizumi's frown deepened at the boy's words. "No, no. You can stay here tonight." After a moment he pushed a little more, hoping to get his point across. "I  _want_ you to stay.  _We_ want you to stay."

 

     "Mr. Oikawa didn't sound like he wanted me here," Kentarou muttered, burying his face into Ripley's chest.

 

     Iwaizumi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Oikawa doesn't know what he wants. I promise, he's a good guy. He just doesn't like other people knowing that."

 

     "Why?" Iwaizumi shook his head with a shrug.

 

     "I don't know. He's a dumbass." Kentarou nodded like he completely understood Iwaizumi's frustration towards his boyfriend. "Anyway, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat before you take a shower, if you want?"

 

     The boy turned and glanced at Iwaizumi with one eye, the other half of his face still smushed into Ripley's body. "I had those donuts at the police station," he murmured, pronouncing police like "po-leece." It made him smile softly.

 

     "I know, but are you still hungry? I can fix you something else." Kentarou still hesitated, so Iwaizumi added, "Growing boys need their food. I remember always being hungry when I was your age." He didn't mention the fact that he knew Kentarou was so underfed Iwaizumi was pretty sure a stiff breeze would blow him away.

 

     "Okay," Kentarou muttered after another beat of silence.

 

     "Alright. What do you want? A sandwich? Some soup? I think Oikawa was heating some soup up in the kitchen already." Kentarou shrugged and stood up, brushing the dog hair from Ripley off the front of his shirt.

 

     "Whatever's easier. It doesn't matter to me. I'll eat whatever." Iwaizumi didn't doubt that. A kid as thin and malnourished as Kentarou couldn't afford to be picky.

 

     "How 'bout some soup? Oikawa was making some in the kitchen, and I'm sure there's plenty for you too." Kentarou shrugged and pushed himself up, patting Ripley on the head while he waited for Iwaizumi to stand too.

 

     He did so with a groan, his knees popping loudly, and motioned for Kentarou to follow him. The boy stayed close behind him, nearly clipping the back of his shoes. Iwaizumi wondered if it Kentarou was feeling scared of his surroundings. He wouldn't be surprised if he was. As a second thought, Iwaizumi casually offered his hand, just in case Kentarou wanted to hold on to something to make him feel better.

 

     Kentarou glanced at his hand with a scowl and dug his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. Iwaizumi quickly pulled his hand back, not wanting to force the boy to do something he didn't want to.

 

     When they reached the doorway to the kitchen, he paused, taking a deep breath. Things might be a little difficult from here on, and he wanted to make sure he was prepared for it. He gently knocked on the wall to let Oikawa know they were there.

 

     "Hey, you got any soup left over?" He asked, poking his head into the kitchen. He spotted a bowl of soup already set out on the counter top next to a napkin and a spoon. Oikawa was standing off to the side by the sink, eating from his own bowl.

 

     "Bring him in, Iwa-chan. Let the kid eat," he told him. Iwaizumi nodded and turned back to Kentarou, gesturing with his hand for the boy to go into the kitchen.

 

~*~

 

     Kentarou walked stiffly in the direction  Iwaizumi pointed to and kept his eyes on his feet. The tension in the room was making him antsy. The minute he stepped foot onto the tiled floor, a different voice he wasn't familiar with assaulted his ears.

 

     "So, this is the stray Iwa-chan brought home? Awe, he's so little!" Kentarou jumped at the sudden loud noise, snapping his head up when he heard footsteps heading in his direction.

 

     The man in front of him was tall, taller than Iwaizumi. He had brown hair and was dressed in sweat pants and a button down dress shirt, an odd combination even to Kentarou. The man's smile, though...his smile was more of a flash of teeth, like a warning. It was not a safe smile. It wasn't like when Iwaizumi had smiled at him. It was an angry smile, like the one Mom gave him when he accidentally broke something.

 

     Kentarou jerked back, bumping into Iwaizumi's legs that were right behind him. He scrambled to quickly get around them, to put something between himself and the man in front of him. He pressed his face against the back of Iwaizumi's legs, clutching handfuls of his pants in an attempt to keep himself rooted in his spot.

 

     "Hey! Awe, come on. I'm not that scary, am I?" Kentarou didn't respond to the question, knowing from experience that not answering was the best answer. A hand gently landed on top of his head. It must have been Iwaizumi.

 

     "Hey, Kentarou? It's okay. You're safe here." Kentarou wanted to believe him; he knew Iwaizumi wouldn't lie to him, at least not on purpose. He hadn't really done it yet. But he couldn't force himself out from behind the man. Instead, he just shook his head against Iwaizumi's legs, refusing to move. "Give him some room, Oikawa."

 

     Iwaizumi turned and knelt in front of him, making Kentarou take a step back so he could move. The man rested his hands on Kentarou's shoulders. He didn't like that. It made him feel like he couldn't get away. He tried to squirm out of Iwaizumi's grip, and the man let him. But he didn't move away.

 

     "What's wrong?" Kentarou didn't know how to answer that question. Iwaizumi and Mr. Oikawa would get angry at him if he said what was really bothering him.

 

     "I'm not hungry anymore. Can I take a bath instead?" He whispered, not lifting his eyes from his feet. He clenched his hands in the bottom of his hoodie.

 

     Iwaizumi's answer was hesitant but gentle. "Yeah. Sure, buddy. That's fine." Kentarou didn't know he felt about Iwaizumi calling him "buddy." All the other people who'd called him that had made it sound like an insult, like he was less than they were. But it was different when Iwaizumi said it. He said it soft and nice, and it draped over Kentarou a little like a blanket.

 

     "What? Iwa-chan! I made him a bowl and everything!" Kentarou flinched at the shout, jerking his shoulders up to his ears. His feet itched with the need to turn and run. He shifted back and forth on them to try and get rid of the feeling.

 

     "Tooru," Iwaizumi growled. "Don't." Kentarou's chest felt tight, like he couldn't get enough air. He fidgeted with his hoodie. "C'mon, Kentarou. I'll show you where the bath is."

 

     Kentarou nodded and followed quickly behind Iwaizumi. He'd rejected the man's first attempt at holding his hand out of anger. He didn't need this man he barely knew trying to comfort him. But now he almost wished Iwaizumi would offer his hand again.

 

     Iwaizumi led him to a door not far from the kitchen, opening it to reveal a huge room and bed bigger than Kentarou had ever seen. The sight of it floored him for a moment, making him stop dead in his tracks and forget his fear for a second or two.

 

     Iwaizumi must have noticed his sudden lack of motion, because he stopped too. He turned to see what Kentarou was looking at and chuckled softly, rubbing at the back of his head.

 

     "Yeah, it's kinda ridiculous, I know. But Oikawa tends to roll and sprawl out a lot in his sleep, so we need the extra room," he explained. Kentarou barely heard him, too busy imagining what it would be like to sleep in a bed that size. It was at least the size of three normal beds put together, with room to spare.

 

     "That thing is gigantic." His voice sounded awed even to himself. Iwaizumi chuckled and nodded.

 

     "Yeah, it's pretty huge." He nodded his head toward a door to his left. "Bathroom's this way."

 

     Kentarou followed him, barely able to tear his eyes away from giant bed in the middle of the room. Iwaizumi led him to a door on the left, which opened into a large bathroom. Against the far wall in front of them sat a huge bathtub. Kentarou thought it looked more like a small swimming pool rather than a big tub.

 

     "Oikawa likes to stretch out," Iwaizumi explained from behind him. "The shower's over there," he said, pointing to their right, "but you're welcome to use either."

 

     Kentarou nodded and moved toward the bathtub. Showers were nice, but it'd been a long time since he'd taken an actual bath. He missed having the warmth surrounding him.

 

     "Can I take a bath?" He glanced at Iwaizumi over his shoulder, checking to make sure it really was okay.

 

     "Sure, buddy. Let me fill it up for you." Iwaizumi started towards the tub but stopped abruptly, glancing at Kentarou for a moment before he quickly moved to the sink. He knelt down and opened the cabinet at the bottom, digging around for a moment before he pulled out a brightly colored bottle. He held it out and grinned at him. "Bubbles?"

 

     Kentarou had never had a bubble bath. He knew what they were, of course. He wasn't an idiot. But he'd never actually gotten to experience one before. He'd always wanted to, though.

 

     "Is it okay?" Iwaizumi frowned at his question, his brow furrowing furiously, and Kentarou almost panicked. It felt like he'd failed some sort of test, or something. But then Iwaizumi smiled again and nodded.

 

     "Of course it's okay." The man's tone was soft and reassuring. "Do you want some?"

 

     Kentarou nodded hesitantly, not used to being asked what he wanted, and Iwaizumi's smile widened. He watched as Iwaizumi walked over to the tub and poured some of the bubble mixture into it, making sure to pour a line completely around the bottom of the tub.

 

     "Oikawa always makes me pour it in the exact same way. He says it doesn't "fluff up the right way" if I don't, whatever that means," Iwaizumi huffed, rolling his eyes. Kentarou nodded, peeking over the edge of the tub when Iwaizumi turned the faucet on.

 

     "Do you want to feel the water and tell me what temperature you want it?" Iwaizumi asked, his fingers already under the running water.

 

     Kentarou nodded quickly and stepped closer, pushing the sleeve of his hoodie up on his arm so it wouldn't get wet. He realized his mistake, though, when his bare arm came into view and Iwaizumi froze. He jerked his arm back to his body. Or at least tried to.

 

     Before he could really move, Iwaizumi's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, holding his arm in place. Kentarou shouted in fear, pulling against the hold.

 

     "Let me go!" Iwaizumi ignored him, his eyes riveted to the skin of Kentarou's forearm. Kentarou didn't have to look to know what he was staring at. The perfect circle burns that scattered the skin of his forearm stood out in stark contrast to the rest of his smooth, tan skin.

 

     "Kentarou, who did this to you?" Iwaizumi's voice sent a shudder of fear through Kentarou, so cool and stony and anything but calm.

 

     "I was bad! I got them because I was bad!" He shouted, still trying to jerk his arm out of Iwaizumi's hold. He was scared; he was so scared he was crying and shaking. Mom always made him cover his Punishments up. He got in trouble if he didn't, which meant he got more Punishments. And now Iwaizumi was mad at him because he'd uncovered them when he  _wasn't_ _supposed to_. "I'll cover them back up! I'm sorry!"

 

     "Kentarou, stop!" He froze at Iwaizumi's loud words and clenched his eyes shut, standing ramrod straight where he stood, but he couldn't stop his shivering. He was in trouble. He was in so much trouble. Iwaizumi was going to hit him and yell at him and make him sleep outside and-

 

     His thoughts cut off abruptly when he felt a pair of arms circle around his shoulders and pull him into a firm, warm chest. He initially fought against the hold, not knowing what was happening. Iwaizumi could be planning on picking him up and throwing him outside, or locking him in a closet like the Foster Lady did when he did something wrong. But after a few minutes of struggling, none of that happened. 

 

     Iwaizumi let him push and shove against his chest but kept him wrapped up tight in his arms, like he was protecting him from the world around him. When Kentarou realized he wasn't going to immediately be hurt, he stopped fighting, letting his hands rest limply against the warm chest in front of him as he hiccupped and sniffled.

 

     "You're alright," Iwaizumi murmured softly, one of his hands coming up to rest against the back of Kentarou's head. The words brought a new wave of tears to Kentarou's eyes, but he didn't like crying. And especially not letting people see him cry. So, he shoved his face into Iwaizumi's shoulder and tried to will his eyes to stop leaking.

 

     Iwaizumi rubbed a hand over his back, letting him calm down in his own time while he shushed him softly. Kentarou could feel his cheeks getting flushed and blotchy as he sniffled; the back of his neck felt hot, too. Eventually, his breathing mostly evened out and he felt like he had cried himself out, now tired physically and emotionally. Iwaizumi let him pull away but didn't let him go far.

 

     "Kentarou," he said, soft and quiet as he reached out slowly and gently took his arm again. He waited until Kentarou looked him in the eye before he continue. "I know you don't want to talk about it, and I'm not going to make you, but I need to know, okay?" Iwaizumi waited again until he nodded. "Who did this to you?"

 

     "I was bad," he whispered, remembering the last time someone had held his arm like Iwaizumi was. He'd accidentally pulled a glass of water off the coffee table when he was trying to get a blanket out from under it. It had been an accident, but that hadn't mattered.

 

     Mom usually held his wrist with one hand so hard it would leave a bruise and use the other hand to light the cigarette dangling between her lips. He learned early on not to try and hit her or get away. All that did was make things worse for him in the long run.

 

     Iwaizumi shook his head slowly. "That's not what I asked." Kentarou sniffled again and used his still-sleeved arm to wipe some of the snot from his nose. "Who hurt you, Kentarou?"

 

     "M-Mom," he stuttered. "But--but I was bad. So, I needed a Punishment." Iwaizumi released his arm and frowned angrily at that, and Kentarou mentally scrambled to find a way to placate him. Angry grown ups meant pain. "I'm not bad as much anymore, though. I-I'm good more times than bad."

 

     Iwaizumi only frowned harder. "Did she hurt you anywhere else?" Kentarou glued his eyes to the tiles beneath his bare feet, not wanting to answer Iwaizumi's question. Regardless of his reluctance to answer, the burns clustered together on the lower right part of his belly throbbed. Those were only for when he did something really bad. He only had a few of them.

 

     He'd gotten one just a day or so ago, actually.

 

     "Kentarou," Iwaizumi called his name softly again, like he could promise Kentarou everything in just the one simple word. "I'm not mad at you. I promise. I just need to know, so I can help you."

 

     Kentarou fidgeted with the bottom of his hoodie, considering the possibility that Iwaizumi was telling the truth. He'd only caught the grown up in the one lie, and that had been more of a not-truth. And he fixed it after Kentarou caught him instead of trying to keep the lie going. Plus, Iwaizumi had been nice to Kentarou from the moment he met him. Course, that was only for a few hours, but that was still longer than most people, grown ups and kids alike. He had to be sure, though.

 

     "You promise?" He whispered, eyes still on the ground.

 

     "I promise," Iwaizumi told him. Kentarou glanced up at him, trying to see the truth in his eyes.

 

     "You _swear_?" He wasn't going to be tricked like he'd been with Mom. He wasn't going to show Iwaizumi where it hurt just to have him make it hurt more.

 

     Iwaizumi met his stare and didn't blink. "I swear."

 

     Kentarou let out a shaky breath and tugged on the bottom of his hoodie again. It was one thing to say he would show someone, but it was another thing entirely to actually do the act. It helped that Iwaizumi was waiting patiently, not trying to rush him into showing his injuries. That made it easier to begin lifting the ratty bottom of his too-big hoodie.

 

     Iwaizumi's sharp inhale let Kentarou know when he saw the burns on his belly. He flinched away when Iwaizumi reached forward, expecting pain, but gentle hands simply rested on his sides, holding him in place. Iwaizumi's eyes stared at the irritated skin of his belly. Kentarou was sure it looked worse than the last time he'd seen it; the fresh burn was probably still wet and sticky. He'd been wishing for a bandaid to put over it ever since he got it, but he had yet to find one lying somewhere.

 

     "Kentarou," Iwaizumi said, his voice steady and stony like it had been before. Kentarou tensed at the sound of it but didn't pull away. Iwaizumi wouldn't hurt him. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. "If anyone else ever hurts you like this again, you have to tell me right away, okay?"

 

     "Okay." Kentarou didn't ask any questions. Questions usually made grown ups angry. "Can I take a bath now?"

 

     Iwaizumi closed his eyes for a few seconds and let out a long, slow breath before he nodded, moving to check the temperature of the bath water. When he seemed happy with it, he turned the faucet off, stood up, and moved to one of the closets in the big bathroom, opening it and pulling out a fluffy towel.

 

     "I'm gonna go put this in the dryer so it'll be warm when you get out, okay? I'll be in to check on you in a bit." Iwaizumi told him, and Kentarou nodded, waiting for Iwaizumi to leave before he started taking his clothes off. He bent to untie his shoes but paused to glance up at the tub, watching the bubbles in it rise as it filled with water. He hoped it felt as good as it looked.


	4. Warm For The First Time in A Long Time

     It took everything Iwaizumi had to not punch a hole in the wall of the hallway he was standing in. Every time he closed his eyes images of Kentarou's burnt skin flashed in front of him, angry and irritated and painful. What he wouldn't give to get his hands on Kentarou's mother now. That woman didn't deserve any sort of respect, not after what she'd done to her son.

 

     Iwaizumi let out a slow breath and shook his head. There wasn't anything he could do about her right now, but he could help Kentarou. And right now the boy needed a nice bath, a warm bed, and some decent sleep. Iwaizumi could do all that. First thing's first, he promised a warm towel when Kentarou got out of his bath.

 

     With a sigh, Iwaizumi started toward the kitchen where the laundry room was connected, part of him hoping Oikawa had moved to another room of the house and part of him hoping he was still in the kitchen. Oikawa might be pissed at him, but he would come around after Iwaizumi told him what he'd discovered. Oikawa worked too many child abuse cases not to.

 

     As luck would have it, Oikawa was still in the kitchen, eating his soup. Kentarou's bowl was still sitting on the counter, untouched. Iwaizumi had half a mind to move it into the microwave for the time being, in case the boy's appetite came back before he went to bed.

 

     "How's the stray? Enjoying his bath?" Iwaizumi ignored Oikawa's jab and walked through the kitchen and opened the laundry room door. He slipped inside and threw the towel in the dryer, setting it for  _Fast Dry_. Oikawa followed him and leaned against the washing machine, sipping at a spoonful of soup. "He better not stain the rugs. Those were hard to find, and I don't know about you but -"

 

     "He's been abused, Tooru," Iwaizumi cut him off, unable to hold it in anymore. "He's got cigarette burns all along his forearms." Iwaizumi swallowed hard. "Lighter burns on his stomach."

 

     He glanced over at Oikawa, wanting to gauge his reaction, and wasn't disappointed. Oikawa's hand had frozen halfway to his mouth, which was hanging open, ready to take a bite. His eyes were wide with shock. Slowly, he lowered his spoon and set his bowl down on top of the washing machine, so he could have his hands empty.

 

     "Christ, no wonder he was terrified of me. He's terrified of everyone. I thought he was jumpy, but I figured he was just shy, like Iwa-chan when he was that age." Oikawa shook his head.

 

     Iwaizumi snorted. "I wasn't shy, dumbass. You were just loud enough for the both of us." He and Oikawa both knew that was a lie. Iwaizumi had been awkward as a child, scared to say the wrong thing and get punished for it. Like Kentarou. "He really is like me when I was that age, isn't he?"

 

     Oikawa laid a hand on Iwaizumi's arm, the light touch making Iwaizumi feel immensely better. "It's gonna be okay, Hajime."

 

     Iwaizumi bit his lip and glanced up at Oikawa. "How do you know, Tooru? This kid's life is already so fucked up."

 

     "Cuz now you're in his life, even for just a little bit, so I know you'll take care of him. It's what you do." Iwaizumi sighed and shook his head.

 

     "I don't even know where to start trying to fix this. He thought I was going to make him sleep outside, Tooru. His life has been so fucked up." Iwaizumi rubbed a hand over his face and tugged at his hair. "His mother deserves to be locked up."

 

     Oikawa huffed softly. "Well, let's focus on tonight. We'll worry about tomorrow when it comes." Iwaizumi nodded and let out a long, slow breath.

 

     "I'm gonna go check on him. Can you heat his towel up?" Oikawa smiled at his question.

 

     "Spoiling him already, huh? You're going to end up with another me if you're not careful."

 

     Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and tried to ignore the smile that was tugging at his lips. "You're lucky I love you," he said, already heading back out of the laundry room.

 

     "I know," Oikawa called after him.

 

~*~

     Once his clothes were all off, Kentarou tested the water with his hand before he climbed in, hissing softly when it made his burns sting. The pain quickly went away though, and he soon he was just sitting in a bath surrounded by warm water and bubbles.

 

     He turned the water off when he thought it was high enough, not wanting it to overflow, and leaned back against the tub. He wanted to stay in here forever. It was warm and quiet and it felt like nothing would hurt him again. He was glad to feel like he was getting clean finally, too. He felt like he was shedding a second skin.

 

     He grabbed a washcloth that was hanging on the edge of the tub and started scrubbing at his skin. It felt good, like he was washing away the day's events from his body. He was careful around his forearms and his stomach, not wanting to tear the scabs on his burns. That would only make them hurt worse. He'd learned that from experience.

 

     Soon enough, he was finished cleaning his body and face, having found a bar of soap in the water he used to lather up. He didn't see any shampoo though, and he wasn't very good at washing his hair anyway, so he just leaned back against the tub again. Maybe, if he asked nice enough, Iwaizumi would wash his hair for him.

 

     The thought of Iwaizumi brought their earlier conversation to the front of Kentarou's mind. He scowled at the bubbles in front of him. What if Iwaizumi had left to go warm up his towel only to call the people in charge and tell them to come and take him back?

 

     Kentarou didn't want to go back into foster care. The grown ups were mean, and the kids were, too. Sometimes they were even worse than the grown ups. He remembered the time an older foster boy had punched him just because he'd accidentally bumped into him while he was trying to get to the bathroom; he'd had a black eye for a week.

 

     He reached out and gently brushed his finger over some of the bubbles in front of him. He just wanted to go home. He knew the rules there; things made sense at home. He had his room, his bed, and his books. That was plenty for him. He could curl up in some blankets and read, just forget about how Mom yelled at him and the men who came and either hit him or talked down to him.

 

     The sound of the bathroom door opening made him jump, and he had half a mind to duck his head under the bath water and hide. But he didn't, and a hand pushed through the crack in the door and knocked on the inside of the wood.

 

     "Can I come in?" That was Iwaizumi's voice. Kentarou relaxed and let out a noise or approval. The police officer slid into the room and grinned at Kentarou, making his way over to the bathtub. "So that's what you look like. I couldn't tell under all that dirt."

 

     Kentarou knew he was joking, but the words still made him squirm a bit. He knew he'd been dirty, but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't work the motel's shower, and half the time the water didn't work. And Mom wasn't really concerned with how clean Kentarou was.

 

     Instead of trying to explain that to Iwaizumi, Kentarou decided to change the subject. "Can you wash my hair for me, please? I couldn't find any shampoo, and I'm not very good at it." He felt like he needed to explain himself, to give a reason why he would ask Iwaizumi such a thing.

 

     The grown up nodded moved to the shower, grabbing a bottle on one of the tracks inside the stall. "Sure thing! I wash Oikawa's hair for him when he takes a bath all the time. Course, that's because he's lazy and spoiled."

 

     Kentarou nodded. He could see Mr. Oikawa being spoiled, though he'd never really heard a grown up called that before. It was usually something only kids were called.

 

     Iwaizumi motioned for Kentarou to turn around, so he did, resting his back against the edge of the tub facing the grown up. "Can you dunk your head and get it wet for me?" Kentarou did as he was asked, wiping the water from his face when he came back up.

 

     A moment later, he felt big hands rest on his head. He tensed at first, ready for some kind of pain to follow after the initial touch, but it never came. Iwaizumi simply started to gently work the shampoo into Kentarou's hair, massaging it into his scalp.

 

     He started to relax after a few minutes, sighing quietly when Iwaizumi scrubbed at a particularly good spot. He'd never had anyone do this for him; at least, if they had, they hadn't been as gentle as Iwaizumi was being. It was nice. Felt good. It could easily put him to sleep; the warmth from the bath, the fingers in his hair, how safe he felt at that moment; he could just drift off...

 

     "Don't fall asleep yet, buddy. Let's get you out of the bath first." Iwaizumi's soft voice roused him what felt like hours later. Kentarou blinked his eyes open a crack, but he couldn't force them open any further. It's like sleep fought back against him, pushing down on his eyelids.

 

     Something soft brushed against his shoulder. A towel. He turned slowly, ready (more or less) to take the towel and dry himself off. Instead, he saw Iwaizumi knelt by the tub with the towel held open in front of him.

 

     In his sleep-fuzzy state, Kentarou didn't even question it. He simply pulled himself out of the bath and stepped into the towel. Iwaizumi wrapped the towel around him, which he realized really  _was_ warm, and started to pat him dry.

 

     His head felt heavy, like it weighed a hundred pounds, so it wasn't really his fault when it weighed him down until he was resting his cheek against Iwaizumi's shoulder. And it wasn't really his fault when that shoulder then felt like the world's softest pillow.

 

     The part of his brain that was still kind of awake had a thought that he was getting Iwaizumi's shoulder wet and that he should move, but the towel moved up to his head and started drying his hair. And the thought left his mind as soon as it had come.

 

     Whispering came from over his head, and he sort of wanted to pull himself out of the warm, soft place he'd let his brain sink into so he could listen, but the hand that had come to rest at the back of his head started to brush at his hair. He couldn't really help it when he sighed and curled further into Iwaizumi.

 

     Someone nudged at him, gently moving his head a bit. "Help me out, bud. Gotta get you dressed." Kentarou grunted but managed to lift his thousand pound head long enough for Iwaizumi to pull a shirt on him, carefully pulling his arms into the too-long sleeves. They went past his hands, but that was okay. He preferred it like that anyway. It kept his hands warm.

 

     The shirt ended at his knees, obviously either one of Iwaizumi's or Mr. Oikawa's. He thought he should feel something about that, embarrassment or gratitude, but he was just so tired. He wanted to curl up and sleep. A hand pressed him him forward back into Iwaizumi's chest and when he was suddenly being lifted into the air he didn't fight it. He just let his head fall on Iwaizumi's shoulder again and stopped fighting the losing battle against his drooping eyelids.

 

~*~

 

     Iwaizumi could feel Oikawa's eyes on him as he lifted Kentarou into his arms, knew the other hadn't been expecting that, but he couldn't help himself. The poor boy looked like he was about to pass out in the bath, let alone when Iwaizumi made him get out and wrapped him in the heated towel. When Kentarou had laid his head on his shoulder it had just felt right, like they'd already done this very thing a hundred times before.

 

     Kentarou felt so tiny in his arms, much smaller than any eight year old should ever be. The image of his naked rib cage, thin and malnourished, only stood to emphasize the fact that his mother hadn't cared about him in the slightest. It wouldn't surprise Iwaizumi if Kentarou had been feeding himself for a while now. Or at least trying to.

 

     "Is the guest bed made up?" Iwaizumi murmured, glancing at Oikawa over Kentarou's head.

 

     Oikawa nodded from where he stood in the bathroom doorway. "Yeah, we had it set up for Makki and Mattsun and just never put stuff back up." Iwaizumi snorted and couldn't stop a smile from tugging at his lips. "What?"

 

     Iwaizumi shook his head with a chuckle. "The kid's not gonna know what to do with all the spare room he's gonna have in that bed. I think his brain almost exploded after he saw our bed."

 

     Oikawa grinned and lifted one of his shoulders in a half shrug. "What can I say? I like to spread out." Iwaizumi snorted again and rolled his eyes, shifting the boy in his arms slightly.

 

     "Well, come on. You can help me tuck him in." Oikawa moved out of the doorway and followed closely behind Iwaizumi, his steps soft on the hard wood floor.

 

     "What did his mother do to his hair?" Iwaizumi glanced over just in time to see Oikawa brushing his fingers very gently over Kentarou's horribly bleached hair. The boy twitched but didn't stir otherwise. Iwaizumi sighed and shook his head.

 

     "Honestly, I have no idea. That woman doesn't deserve to call herself a mother," he spat, feeling his previous fury from discovering Kentarou's burns coming back. "I'm just glad we got him out when we did."

 

     "Yeah." They were quiet the rest of the way to the guest room, not wanting to risk waking the boy up. Oikawa opened the door for Iwaizumi when they reached their destination, and they moved into the bedroom quick enough. Iwaizumi tugged the comforter and sheets back with one hand, easily holding Kentarou against his chest with his other hand. When the bed was ready, he laid the boy down, supporting his head and neck so he didn't strain it accidentally.

 

     He felt something tug at his shirt when he moved to stand up and glanced down to see Kentarou holding on to him, one of his hands clenching the fabric in a loose fist. It didn't take much effort to gently pull the material out of the boy's grip, even thought it killed him a little on the inside to do so.

 

     It took just about every ounce of strength Iwaizumi had to leave the room, pulling the door closed until there was only a small crack open. Even then, he still stood at the door, fighting the irrational urge to do  _more_ for the boy. He was so lost in thought he nearly jumped when Oikawa touched his hand.

 

     "Come on, Iwa-chan," his boyfriend whispered, tugging him back toward their bed room. "He'll be okay tonight. He's safe."

 

     Iwaizumi nodded with a sigh, letting the other lead him to their bed room. He hoped Oikawa was right.


End file.
